Feeler mechanism



Jan. 21, 1930. E. HALL FEELER MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mil ATTORNEY Jan. 21, 1930. E. HALL FEELER MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Z7026? flee/Z.

MI/M L60 ATTORNEY iatontecl den. 21, 1939 UhliTED STATiEt-i PrhTEN'i @FFMJE ERNEST HALL, OF FAIRFAX, ALABAIwEA FEELER MECHANISM Application filed July 28,

This invention relates to the art of weaving and is more particularly concerned With filling detectors of the type controlling the feed ing of bobbins or quills from a magazine or oth r container automatically to substitute a fresh quill for one whose thread has almost been exhausted.

In looms of this general type, mechanism controlled by the filling detector or feeler engaging the yarn on the bobbin or quill is prevented from operating to feed a fresh yarn filled quill into the shuttle and coincidently to eject the spent quill therefrom, until substantially the full winding has been ex hausted.

This feeler or detector enters through an opening in the shuttle and engages or feels the yarn on its quill as the shuttle is moved with the lay into contact with the feeler. The thread on the quill, on each of these detecting movements or beats of the lay, engages the feeler or detector finger and moves it in a direction to cause an associated control for the magazine feed to be effective to prevent the operation of the quill replenishing mechanism thereof. hen the yarn is exhausted from the filler contacting portion of the quill the feeler slips and the control permits the quill replenishing mechanism to operate.

The construction and adjustments of the feeler mechanism as heretofore constructed, have been productive of wear and lost motion and it has been dificult, if not impossible to maintain an adjustment. This has resulted in the discharge of spent quills with large quantities of thread still remaining thereon. In large mills this feeler waste, so called, with present day constructions, runs into thousands of pounds of yarn weekly. For economic reasons, this waste should be as small as possible consistent with laying a full pick of filling in the shed under proper tension on the last flight of the shuttle preceding replenishment.

It is the regularand accepted practice to )rovide the quills or other filling carriers with a preliminary winding of filling or a bunch so called, which cooperates with the feeler to call for a change, such as a replenishment of filling, when the feeler detects a sub- 1927. Serial N0. 209,128.

stantial exhaustion of the filling comprising the preliminary windings of thread or bunch. The feeler is controlled as to its functional operation by the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of the filling on the quills, and the fewer adjustments and parts subject to wear and lost motion that compose it, and more accurate, finer and permanent will be the adjustment and therefore quill or feeler waste may be reduced to a minimum.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strong, simple and eflicient feeler mechanism not subject to wear producing lost motion and loss of adjustment and one which is readily adapted to standard looms now in 65 wide use. Such a mechanism provides for a minimum amount of Waste on filling carriers when they are ejected from the shuttle. Since this wastage is so large, under present practice, as to represent, in the aggregate, a very large loss or expense item in the operation of a mill, the importance of mechanical aids to reduce this loss, can be appreciated.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a feeler mechanism making it possible to wind the quills or bobbins to permit the sliding of the feeler by exhausting yarn to actuate the replenishing mechanism when the yarn remaining at the bunch or feeler contacting end of the quill is only sulficient to constitute a safe reserve length for the discharge of the bobbin.

In the replenishment of a spent quill by a tall one, looms of the magazine type now in use and to which the present invention is adapted embody mechanism for driving a full quill down into the shuttle when the lay brings the shuttle in its box beneath the magazine, the quill driving mechanism, of course, being timed to the movement of the lay and in the specific form illustrated, being directly actuated by the lay.

VJhen this driving occurs, the finger of the feeler will be in contact with the bare quill and unless the feeler is withdrawn, the impact of the fresh quill driven against the spent quill to eject it from the shuttle will result in bending the feeler and render it inoperative.

To prevent such injury and as a further feature of the invention I have provided means which are effective to momentarily retract the feeler from the path of movement of the new quill. This is accomplished automatically and in timed relation to the quill driving mechanism of the magazine.

The described and other features of my invention will be more fully apparent froma reading of the following detailed specifications in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved feeler mechanism in operative relation to the associated control for the magazine quill driving mechanism.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the feeler case with its top plate removed and its feeler shown in contact with a substantially full quill,

Figure 3 is a similar view with the quill substantially exhausted and the feeler finger slipped to one side to render the quill driving mechanism effective to operate,

Figure 4 is a view in elevation showing diagrammatically the operation of the quill driving mechanism through the lay and the 1 associated feeler retracting means.

Figure 5 is a detail of the feeler retracting wiper.

Figure 6 is a transverse section through the feeler box with the cover removed.

In the specific embodiment of the inven tion illustrated herein, the feeler is shown in association with a portion of a train of mechanism for controlling and effecting the replacement with a new filling carrier of a carrier in the shuttle when the filling thereon has been exhausted to a predetermined point, but this mechanism is not shown herein since the detailed construction thereof forms no part of the present invention and only such parts of a well known mechanism of this type are shown as are necessary to illustrate the cooperation therewith of the elements of the feeler mechanism of the present invention.

The base 1 of the bracket upon which the feeler mechanism is supported is attached to the side of the loom frame adjacent to the filler replenishing mechanism and in advance of the lay beam. It is formed with a lateral offset 2 from which it uprises and has a second lateral offset 3. Its upper end 4 at its rear edge is slotted at 5 with spaced ears 6 forming an upward continuation of the slot. This slot houses the outer end 7 of the chopper lever pivoted upon the slide of block 8 and having its inner end 7 connected with the control of the filling replenishing mechanism (not shown). The slide block 8 is operated by the usual cam and connections.

The upper end 4 of the bracket is formed with a bore therethrough which traverses the slot 5 at a point below the ears 6. The arm 9 of a substantially Ushaped bar extends v through this slot and when its end is retracted from the slot 5 permits the outer end 7 of the chopper lever to descend in the slot which action, as is usual in loom construction, occurs when the feeler mechanism engages and is moved by the filling on a shuttle contained filling carrier during detecting beats of the lay. The chopper lever is oscillated in timed relation to these detecting beats up and down in slot 5 by the usual loom connections.

lVith the exception of the specific form of arm or pin 9, the described constructions are those of a well known type of loom in wide use today and employing a magazine of filling carriers whose mechanism for replenishing is controlled through the control arm 9, chopper 7 and a transfer mechanism operated through the lay as later described.

The control arm 9 cooperating with the chopper is formed as one arm of a substan tially U-shaped member preferably of heavy steel wire, the other arm of which forms part of the feeler mechanism which is mounted in a feeler stand 10 bolted by its downturned arm 10 to an upstanding flange 12 of shelf 3 of the bracket and preferably having, additionally, the coiled spring 13 anchored to a stud or other abutment on its under side and to a bracket extension 14.

This stand 10 is formed with flanged sides 11, and its end is bored at its edge to receive this other arm 15 so that the flanged side 11 acts to guide the arm for rectilinear movement. The arm 15 is in effect the feeler arm and intermediate of its ends is provided with a lateral offset 16 and a parallel branch 17 extending back through a bore in the end flan e of the stand additionally to guide the arm 15 for straight line movement. The other end of the arm is similarly guided by a stud 18 on the stand. A coiled spring 19 encircling the branch arm 17, operates against the offset 16 and normally tends to project the foeler arm 15 toward the lay carried shuttle. The arm 15 terminates a suitable distance from the opposite end of the stand and has pivotally connected thereto and laterally offset therefrom the filling engaging arm 20 constituting in effect the finger of the feeler arm 15.

The end of arm 20 is normally maintained substantially in parallel with the feeler arm 15 by means of a leaf spring 21 anchored at one end to studs 22 on the stand base. The side flanges 11 of the stand at the corner diametrically opposite the point of entry of arm 15 into the stand are cut away as best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 6 to permit the finger 20 to project from the stand, the top of which is closed by a cover plate 23. The end of the finger 20 is serrated to be engaged and held without slippage by the yarn filling on the shuttle enclosed carrier. The shuttle, as is usual, is slotted to permit the end of finger 20 to extend therein into engagement with th filling on a detecting beat of the lay, as su gestcd in Figure 1.

n order to properly position the end of th feelerfinger 20 for engagement by the filling, the extent to which it may be projected from the stand by spring 19 is adjustably limited by the stop 24 mounted and adjustable on arm by a set screw and abutting the end of the stand to limit spring projection of the feeler finger 20.

As is customary in mill practice of today, he filling carriers or quills are given a preliminary winding or bunch which constitutes the waste left on the carrier when it is ejected from the shuttle, and with a main body of filling or yarn which constitutes service stock and is used up in the weaving operations. The initial windingior waste hunch is at one end of the filling carrier and the end of finger engages the filling on the shuttle cased carrier at the edge of this bunch. As the lay makes successive detecting beats it successively forces the carrier filling at this point against the finger 20. Since the serrated edge of the finger is firmly engaged and held against slippage by the yarn on the carrier, the movement of the carrier transmits rectilinear movement to the finger 20 and in turn to its feeler arm 15 and the control arm 9 forming an extension thereof and integral therewith as one arm of the J-shaped member. This filling effected movement of the control arm is indicated in Figure 4 and withdraws its end from the slot 5. The end 7 of the chopper is coincidently moved clownwardly in the slot through its slide bar 8 and the usual cam connection.

These movements of the arm 9 and chopper occur long as there is filling remaining on the quill or carrier up to the waste bunch at its end.

hen the filling except for this bunch has been exhausted from the carrier by the weaving operation of the loom, the finger 20 on the next detecting beat of the lay encounters the smooth surface of the quill or carrier and pressure against it by the carrier causes to side slip as indicated in Figure 3, the leaf spring yielding and the finger swinging in an are without transmitting motion to the fee-lei arm 15 or the connected control arm 9 of the filling replenishing mechanism.

(hi the movement of the chopper coincidently with this detecting beat of the lay, therefore, the wire arm 9 remains in slot 5 and acts against end 7 of the chopper lever throwing its end 7 downwardly and through the usual connections causing a fresh filled carrier to be driven into the shuttle in replacement of the exhausted or spent carrier in the manner well known in the art.

As seen in Figure L, a transfer arm pivotally mounted at 26 below the feeler stand has one end formed with a hammer 27, having its face concaved to fit the filled carrier and cam may be of any suitable form.

elevation of the dog 29 to the position shown in Figure 4 so that on the next detecting beat of the lay, a hunter 30 attached to the lay 31, strikes the end of the dog 29 and swings the hammer end of transfer arm 25 (which is normally lifted) downwardly to drive a fresh quill 82 into the shuttle 33 and force out the spent or exhausted quill in the usual manner through the slot opening 34 in the lay beam. The adjustment of the dog 29 to variably predetermine the throw of the transfer arm is effected by mounting the dog for sliding movement in ways in the block portion thereof that is pivoted to the lower end'of crank arm 28, a threaded stud 35 extending from dog 29 through the block and being provided with a .lock nut 36. The construction shown in Figure 4 and so far described is that of the well known type of loom previously referred to.

The lay effected movement of the crank arm 28 is utilized, in the present invention, to retract the finger of the feeler arm from engagement with the spent or exhausted filling carrier as the transfer arm is coincidently moved to drive a fresh carrier from the magazine into the shuttle forcibly to displace the spent carrier seated therein. As previously explained the finger of the feeler may be bent and the efliciency of the feeler mechanism destroyed if the fresh driven carrier strikes the finger 20 in ejecting and replacing the spent quill.

Accordingly a simple wiper or cam shown in detail in Figure 5 clamped to the forward end of the dog holder between the head of set screw 35 and its lock nut and as the crank arm 28 moves upwardupon pivot 26 in effectin filling repleni hing movement, this wiper cam rides over the cross bar 37 of the U-shaped member and retracts the finger 20 from engagement with the spent quill (see Figure as the hammer 27 descends to force a new quill in the shuttle. This wiper As shown in Figure 5, a curved wiper arm 38 of heavy steel wire terminates in a fastening eye 39 which is held on the setscrew 35 between its head and the lock nut 36 at the end of the dog. The wiping action of the curved cam wire 38 is indicated in Figure From the foregoing description it is believed the operation of the inventon will be clear without recapitulation. The specific form of the invention illustrated represents a preferred embodiment thereof, but is susceptible of structural variation Without dearting from the spirit of the invention Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a loom, a feeler stand, an integral U-shaped member providing a feeler arm guided on said stand for rectilinear movement and an integral control arm for controlling tl e operation of the filling replenishing mechanism, a pivoted filling engaging finger mounted on said feeler arm having its filling engaging end serrated and laterally offset therefrom and positioned to be engaged and given rectilinear movement with said U-shaped member by pressure thereagainst of the filling on the filling carrier on successive detecting beats of the lay, a spring yielding laterally and normally tending to guide said finger feeler for rectilinear movement With the U-shaped member, said spring yielding laterally and permitting side slipping of the finger without movement of said U- shaped member through exhaustion of the yarn from the carrier at the point of detecting contact of the finger therewith and means operated by the lay upon side slipping of said finger to retract said finger from the carrier.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler stand, a substantially U-shaped bar having one arm guided on said stand for rectilinear movement, means controlled by its other arm for effecting replenishment of filling, a feeler arm pivotally connected to the stand guided arm of said bar and having its end laterally offset therefrom and positioned to be engaged and moved by the filling on a shuttle contained filling carrier on successive detectin beats of the lay, spring means normally tending to project said bar and feeler arm toward the shuttle and lay, an'adjustable stop determinately to limit the extent of projection of the feeler arm, and a spring normally tending to support the feeler arm for bodily rectilinear movement with said bar through contact pressure of filling on the detector beat of the lay but yielding to permit side slip of the pivoted filler arm upon exhaustion of the filling.

3. In a loom having means for automatically feeding filled carriers to a shuttle to replace and automatically to eject therefrom exhausted filling carriers including a pivoted carrier transfer arm having a crank at its pivoted end, a lay-actuated dog pivotally connected to said c anl: and normally swung out of the path of the detecting beat of the lay, an in tegral U-shapcd member having one arm providing a control member for the carrier replenishing mechanism and the other arm constituting a feeler arm with said arms positioned to aline the connecting base of the U-shaped member with the lay-effected path of movement of the dog on the transfer arm, a fi ing f eler g r p ted to the f ler arm and supported to impart rectilinear movement thereto and to its integral control arm through engagement With the carrier filling during successive detecting beats of the lay, but side slipping upon exhaustion of the carrier filling without imparting movement to its connected feeler and control arms, mechanism actuated through side slipping of said finger to move said dog into the path of the detecting beat of the lay for movement thereby to swing said transfer arm to insert a filled carrier in the shuttle, and a cam carried by said dog and engaging the base of said U-shaped member upon lay-actuated movement of the dog to retract the feeler finger from engagement with the exhausted carrier prior to the insertion of a new carrier through said transfer arm.

ERNEST HALL. 

